User interface

ABSTRACT

An apparatus, method and computer program are provided. The method comprises: controlling a touch sensitive display, while a user digit is detected hovering a distance from the touch sensitive display, to display a transient indication of first content for pasting, wherein if the user subsequently moves the user digit away from the touch sensitive display such that the user digit is no longer detected, the transient indication of the first content for pasting is removed from display on the touch sensitive display.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a user interface. Inparticular, they relate to using a user interface to perform a pastingoperation.

BACKGROUND

Copy, cut and paste are common operations provided by a computingdevice. They are used to transfer content from a source to adestination.

Copying typically involves copying content to a clipboard (which may ormay not be visible to the user). Cutting typically involves copyingcontent to a clipboard and deleting the content being copied from itscurrent location. Pasting typically involves inserting the contentstored in the clipboard into a new location.

Many hand portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones,comprise a touch sensitive display. While some hand portable electronicdevices allow a user to perform cut, copy and paste operations,typically these operations are cumbersome to perform using a touchsensitive display.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of theinvention there is provided a method, comprising: controlling a touchsensitive display, while a user digit is detected hovering a distancefrom the touch sensitive display, to display a transient indication offirst content for pasting, wherein if the user subsequently moves theuser digit away from the touch sensitive display such that the userdigit is no longer detected, the transient indication of the firstcontent for pasting is removed from display on the touch sensitivedisplay.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of theinvention there is provided an apparatus, comprising: at least oneprocessor; and at least one memory storing computer programinstructions, the at least one processor being configured to execute thecomputer program instructions to cause the apparatus at least toperform: controlling a touch sensitive display, while a user digit isdetected hovering a distance from the touch sensitive display, todisplay a transient indication of first content for pasting, wherein ifthe user subsequently moves the user digit away from the touch sensitivedisplay such that the user digit is no longer detected, the transientindication of the first content for pasting is removed from display onthe touch sensitive display.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of theinvention there is provided a non-transitory computer readable mediumstoring a computer program comprising computer program instructionsthat, when executed by at least one processor, cause an apparatus atleast to perform: controlling a touch sensitive display, while a userdigit is detected hovering a distance from the touch sensitive display,to display a transient indication of first content for pasting, whereinif the user subsequently moves the user digit away from the touchsensitive display such that the user digit is no longer detected, thetransient indication of the first content for pasting is removed fromdisplay on the touch sensitive display.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of theinvention there is provided an apparatus, comprising: means forcontrolling a touch sensitive display, while a user digit is detectedhovering a distance from the touch sensitive display, to display atransient indication of first content for pasting, wherein if the usersubsequently moves the user digit away from the touch sensitive displaysuch that the user digit is no longer detected, the transient indicationof the first content for pasting is removed from display on the touchsensitive display.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of theinvention there is provided a method, comprising: selecting firstcontent for pasting; responding to detection of a user digit, hovering adistance from the touch sensitive display, by controlling a touchsensitive display to display a transient indication of the first contentselected for pasting; and responding to user touch input at the touchsensitive display, by initiating a paste operation to paste the firstcontent.

Selecting the first content for pasting may involve performing a copyoperation. Alternatively, selecting the first content for pasting mayinvolve performing a cut operation.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of theinvention there is provided an apparatus, comprising: at least oneprocessor; and at least one memory storing computer programinstructions, the at least one processor being configured to execute thecomputer program instructions to cause the apparatus at least toperform: selecting first content for pasting; responding to detection ofa user digit, hovering a distance from the touch sensitive display, bycontrolling a touch sensitive display to display a transient indicationof the first content selected for pasting; and responding to user touchinput at the touch sensitive display, by initiating a paste operation topaste the first content.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of theinvention there is provided a non-transitory computer readable mediumstoring a computer program comprising computer program instructionsthat, when executed by at least one processor, cause an apparatus atleast to perform: selecting first content for pasting; responding todetection of a user digit, hovering a distance from the touch sensitivedisplay, by controlling a touch sensitive display to display a transientindication of the first content selected for pasting; and responding touser touch input at the touch sensitive display, by initiating a pasteoperation to paste the first content.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of theinvention there is provided an apparatus, comprising: means forselecting first content for pasting; means for responding to detectionof a user digit, hovering a distance from the touch sensitive display,by controlling a touch sensitive display to display a transientindication of the first content selected for pasting; and means forresponding to user touch input at the touch sensitive display, byinitiating a paste operation to paste the first content.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

For a better understanding of various examples of embodiments of thepresent invention reference will now be made by way of example only tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus;

FIG. 2 illustrates a further apparatus;

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart of a method;

FIG. 4 illustrates an apparatus displaying representations of first,second and third content;

FIG. 5 illustrates a user selecting first content for pasting;

FIG. 6 illustrates a user hovering a digit a distance from a touchsensitive display;

FIG. 7 illustrates the touch sensitive display while the user ishovering the digit;

FIG. 8 illustrates a user initiating a paste operation; and

FIG. 9 illustrates an apparatus after a paste operation has beenperformed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention relate to a method of performing a pasteoperation. In embodiments of the invention, a user's digit is used as“virtual storage” for information during the paste operation. When auser hovers a digit a distance from a touch sensitive display, the touchsensitive display displays a preview of what will be pasted if the userprovides touch input at the touch sensitive display with the digit.

The Figures illustrate a method, comprising: controlling a touchsensitive display 22, while a user digit 70 is detected hovering adistance from the touch sensitive display 22, to display a transientindication 80 of first content 160 for pasting, wherein if the usersubsequently moves the user digit 70 away from the touch sensitivedisplay 22 such that the user digit 70 is no longer detected, thetransient indication 80 of the first content 160 for pasting is removedfrom display on the touch sensitive display 22; and in response todetection of touch input from the user digit 70 at the touch sensitivedisplay 22, initiating a paste operation using the first content 160,wherein the paste operation comprises controlling the touch sensitivedisplay 22 to display a representation 60 of the first content, andcontinuing to display the representation 60 of the first content afterthe user digit 70 has been removed from the touch sensitive display 22.

FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus 10. The apparatus may, for example, be achip or a chip-set. The apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises aprocessor 12 and a memory 14. In alternative embodiments of theinvention, the apparatus 10 may comprise multiple processors.

The processor 12 is configured to read from and write to the memory 14.The processor 12 may also comprise an output interface via which dataand/or commands are output by the processor 12 and an input interfacevia which data and/or commands are input to the processor 12.

Although the memory 14 is illustrated as a single component it may beimplemented as one or more separate components, some or all of which maybe integrated/removable and/or may providepermanent/semi-permanent/dynamic/cached storage.

In FIG. 2, the memory 14 is illustrated as storing first, second, thirdand fourth content 160-163. Each of first, second, third and fourthcontent 160-163 may, for example, be textual content, audio content,visual content or audiovisual content.

The memory 14 stores a computer program 16 comprising computer programinstructions 18 that control the operation of the apparatus 10/30 whenloaded into the processor 12. The computer program instructions 18provide the logic and routines that enables the apparatus 10/30 toperform the method illustrated in FIG. 3. The processor 12 by readingthe memory 14 is able to load and execute the computer programinstructions 18.

The computer program 16 may arrive at the apparatus 10/30 via anysuitable delivery mechanism 40. The delivery mechanism 40 may be, forexample, a tangible (non-transitory) computer-readable storage medium, acomputer program product, a memory device, a record medium such as aCD-ROM, DVD or Blu-Ray disc, or any article of manufacture that tangiblyembodies the computer program 16. The delivery mechanism 40 may be asignal configured to reliably transfer the computer program 16.

FIG. 2 illustrates a further apparatus 30. The apparatus 30 illustratedin FIG. 2 may, for example, be a hand portable electronic device such asa mobile telephone, a personal music player, a personal digitalassistant, a computer, a games console, a tablet computer or a camera.

The apparatus 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 comprises the apparatus 10illustrated in FIG. 1. The apparatus 30 further comprises a housing 28,a touch sensitive display 22, a proximity detector 26, and optionally,at least one radio frequency transceiver 24 and at least one vibrationdevice 25. The housing 28 houses: the processor 12, the memory 14, thetouch sensitive display 22, the radio frequency transceiver(s) 24, thevibration device(s) 25 and the proximity detector 26. The elements 12,14, 22, 24, 25 and 26 are co-located within the housing 28. The elements12, 14, 22, 24, 25 and 26 are operationally coupled and any number orcombination of intervening elements can exist (including no interveningelements).

The processor 12 is configured to provide outputs to the touch sensitivedisplay 22, the radio frequency transceiver(s) 24 and the vibrationdevice(s) 25. The processor 12 is configured to receive inputs from theradio frequency transceiver(s) 24, the proximity detector 26 and thetouch sensitive display 22.

The touch sensitive display 22 is configured to provide a graphical userinterface. The touch sensitive display 22 may be any type of touchsensitive display, such as a resistive touch sensitive display or acapacitive touch sensitive display.

In some embodiments of the invention, the touch sensitive display 22 isa stereoscopic display for displaying three-dimensional images. Thedisplay 22 may, for example, be autostereoscopic such thatthree-dimensional images displayed on the display 22 can be viewed by auser without the use of glasses.

The one or more radio frequency transceivers 24 are configured totransmit and receive radio frequency signals. The radio frequencytransceiver(s) 24 may, for example, include one or more cellulartransceivers that are compatible with one or more cellular protocolssuch as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), IS-95 (InterimStandard 95) or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System).Alternatively or additionally, the radio frequency transceiver(s) 24 mayinclude a short range radio transceiver that is compatible with one ormore short range protocols, such as Bluetooth protocols or IEEE(Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) protocols.

The vibration device(s) 25 may be configured to provide a user withhaptic/vibration feedback when the user provides touch input at thetouch sensitive display 22.

The proximity detector 26 is configured to detect at least one userdigit when the user digit(s) is/are hovering a distance from the touchsensitive display 22. The proximity detector 26 may also be configuredto detect the position of one or more user digits. For example, theproximity detector 26 may be configured to detect the position of one ormore user digits in two dimensions, where each of those dimensions isparallel to a plane defined by a surface of the touch sensitive display22. The proximity detector 26 may also be configured to detect theposition of the user digit(s) in a third dimension, where the thirddimension is perpendicular to the plane defined by the surface of thetouch sensitive display 22. In some example embodiments of theinvention, the proximity detector 26 may be configured to detect theorientation of the user digit(s).

The proximity detector 26 may use one or more of a number of sensingtechnologies, including capacitive, optical (infra-red or visual light),acoustic emission, radar or sonar technologies.

The proximity detector 26 may, for example, be configured to generate adetection field in front of the touch sensitive display 22. The type offield generated depends upon the technology that is used in theproximity detector 26. The proximity detector 26 may detect one or moreuser digits hovering a distance from the touch sensitive display 26 bymonitoring the field for disturbances in the field that arecharacteristic of user digit(s) being present.

The proximity detector 26 may comprise circuitry that is partially orcompletely shared with that of the touch sensitive display 22. Forexample, in some embodiments of the invention, the touch sensitivedisplay 22 and the proximity detector 26 may operate using sharedcapacitive circuitry.

A method according to embodiments of the invention will now be describedin conjunction with FIGS. 3 to 9.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front face 21 of the apparatus 30 illustratedschematically in FIG. 2. The front face 21 of the apparatus 30 comprisesthe touch sensitive display 22. In FIG. 4, the touch sensitive display22 is illustrated as displaying first 60, second 61 and third 62representations of the first 160, second 161 and third 162 content(respectively) stored in the memory 14.

In this example, each of the first, second and third content 160-162 isan image. The first, second and third representations 60-62 arethumbnails of the first, second and third content 160-162. Each of thethumbnails is scaled down version of the image that it represents.

In this particular example of the invention, the first, second and thirdrepresentations are graphical in nature. In other examples of theinvention, the first, second and third representations may or may not begraphical. For example, the first, second and third representations maycomprise (or solely consist of) text.

FIG. 4 illustrates co-ordinate axes 50. In FIG. 4, the x and y axes areperpendicular to one another and parallel to the plane of the page. Thez axis is perpendicular to the x and y axes and perpendicular to theplane of the page. Co-ordinate axes 50 are also illustrated in FIGS. 5to 9 to indicate the orientation of the apparatus 30 in those figures.The depth of the apparatus 30 is in the z-direction. The width of theapparatus 30 (and the touch sensitive display 22) is in the x-direction.The length of the apparatus (and the touch sensitive display 22) is inthe y-direction.

In example embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, the touchsensitive display 22 has a substantially flat outer surface on the frontface 21 of the apparatus 30. The substantially flat outer surface of thetouch sensitive display 22 can be considered to be in a plane defined bythe x and y axes illustrated in FIG. 4.

A user may cause content to be selected for pasting by providing someform of predetermined touch input at the representation for thatcontent. For example, in some implementations of the invention, the usermay select the first content 160 for pasting by touching the outersurface of the touch sensitive display 22, at the first representation60, for at least a threshold period of time. In other implementations ofthe invention, the user may select the first content 160 for pasting bytracing a predetermined symbol on the outer surface of the touchsensitive display 22 at the first representation 60 (such as a “Z” or an“O”, for instance).

FIG. 5 illustrates a user providing predetermined touch input at thefirst representation 60 using a digit 70. In response to detection ofthe predetermined touch input, the processor 12 selects the firstcontent 160 for pasting. In some example implementations of theinvention, the processor 12 may select the first content 160 for pastingby performing a copy operation. In other example implementations, theprocessor 12 may select the first content for pasting by performing acut operation. When a copy or cut operation is performed, the processor12 may store the first content 160 in a temporary memory location. If acopy operation is performed, the first content 160 is not deleted fromits current location in the memory 14. If a cut operation is performed,the first content 160 is deleted from its current location.

In some instances, whether a cut or a copy operation is performed maydepend upon the type of user input that is provided at the firstrepresentation 60. For example, a first type of user input may beprovided to cause a cut operation to be performed by the processor 12,and a second type of user input may be provided to cause a copyoperation to be performed by the processor 12.

The processor 12 may control one or more of the vibration devices 25 toprovide vibration feedback to the user's digit 70 when the first content160 is selected for pasting. Once the first content 160 has beenselected for pasting, the processor 12 may alter the appearance of thefirst representation 60 to indicate to the user that the first content160 has been selected for pasting. For example, the processor 12 maycontrol the touch sensitive display 22 to graphically depict the firstrepresentation 60 emanating outwardly from the surface of the touchsensitive display 22 and into the user's digit 70 (for example, using astereoscopic display or a non-stereoscopic display). The user perceivesfrom this that the first content 160 is being stored, in a virtualsense, in the digit 70 placed at the touch sensitive display 22.

The user then moves his digit 70 away from the surface of the display22. The user may subsequently navigate through a menu system, forexample by providing touch input at the touch sensitive display 22 usingthe digit 70, to find an appropriate location to paste the first content160. When an appropriate location is found, the user causes his digit tohover a distance away from the display 22. FIG. 6 illustrates the userdigit 70 hovering above the display 22.

The proximity detector 26 detects the hovering digit as a “hoveringinput”. When the proximity detector 26 detects a “hovering input”, adifferent input signal is provided to the processor 12 as compared towhen a “touch input” is registered at the touch sensitive display 22.The distance from the surface of the display 22 at which a hoveringinput is detected depends upon the sensitivity of the proximity detector26.

When the user's digit 70 is hovering, it is not close enough to thetouch sensitive display 22 for touch input to be registered by thedisplay 22. A hovering digit does not touch the outer surface of thetouch sensitive display 22.

Some touch sensitive displays (for example, those incorporatingcapacitive technology) are sensitive enough to register a touch inputwhen a user's digit is very close to the display but not quite touchingthe display. If such a display is used in embodiments of the invention,a “touch input” is registered when the digit is very close to thedisplay, and a “hovering input” is detected when the digit is a greaterdistance from the display.

In this example embodiment of the invention, the proximity detector 26is configured to determine the position of the user's digit in at leastone plane 71 overlying and parallel with the surface of the touchsensitive display 22. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat the proximity detector 26 may be configured to detect a user digitat multiple different distances from the display 22 (and therefore inmultiple different planes).

In the example illustrated in FIG. 6, the dotted line 72 indicates theposition of the user's digit in the plane 71. The arrow marked with thereference numeral 73 indicates a point on the display 22 thatcorresponds (and in this example, is directly beneath) the position ofthe user's digit 70 in the plane 71.

In block 301 of the method illustrated in FIG. 3, when the user's digit70 is detected hovering a distance from the touch sensitive display 22by the proximity detector 26, the processor 12 controls the display 22to display a transient indication 80 of the first content 160 forpasting. This is illustrated in FIG. 7. In some implementations of theinvention, the processor 12 does not control the display 22 to displaythe transient indication 80 until a hovering user digit has beendetected for at least a threshold period of time.

Advantageously, the transient indication 80 provides an indication (apreview) of the content that will be pasted if a pasting operation issubsequently initiated. In this example, the transient indication 80depicts the thumbnail 60 representing the first content 160. Thisprovides the user with the impression that the first content is stored,in a virtual sense, in his digit 70. It may also help a user todetermine whether to perform the pasting operation and/or to determinewhere to perform the pasting operation.

In some embodiments of the invention, the processor 12 is configured todisplay the transient indication 80 when the user's digit 70 is within acertain range of the touch sensitive display 22 and aligned with thetouch sensitive display 22. For instance, in the context of theillustrated example, the transient indication 80 may be displayed whenthe user's digit is spaced from (and within a certain range of) thetouch sensitive display 22 in the z-direction and aligned with (that is,not spaced from) the touch sensitive display 22 in the x and ydirections.

In this example, processor 12 controls the position at which thetransient indication 80 is displayed in dependence upon the position ofthe user's digit 70. If the user moves the digit 70 across the display22 (and without touching the display 22), the processor 12 controls thedisplay 22 to display the transient indication 80 moving across thedisplay 22 in real time with the digit 70.

If the user subsequently moves the digit 70 away from the touchsensitive display 22 such that it is no longer detected (or no longeraligned with the touch sensitive display 22 in the x and y dimensions),the transient indication 80 of the first content is removed from displayon the touch sensitive display 22.

In the event that the user brings the digit 70 back towards the touchsensitive display 22, such that the proximity detector 26 again detectsthat the digit 70 is aligned with the touch sensitive display 22 in thex and y dimensions, the processor 12 restores the transient indication80 to the display 22 at a position on the display 22 that correspondswith the position of the digit 70.

In one example, the transient indication 80 of the first content 160 isnot selectable by a user. The transient indication 80 may be displayedon the display 22 concurrently with one or more graphical items that areselectable by the user. For example, FIG. 7 illustrates a fourthrepresentation 63 of fourth content 163 being displayed on the display22 concurrently with the transient indication 80 of the first content160. In some implementations of the invention, the fourth representation63 is selectable by the user.

FIG. 8 illustrates the user touching the surface of the touch sensitivedisplay 22, using the digit 70, to initiate a paste operation. At block302 of FIG. 3, the processor 12 detects the touch input and initiates apaste operation using the first content 160.

The paste operation may, for example, be initiated in response to someform of predetermined touch input being provided at the touch sensitivedisplay 22. For example, the user may initiate the paste operation bytouching the outer surface of the touch sensitive display 22 for atleast a threshold period of time. In other implementations of theinvention, the user may initiate the paste operation by tracing apredetermined symbol on the outer surface of the touch sensitive display22 (such as a “Z” or an “O”, for instance).

The processor 12 may control the vibration device(s) 25 to providevibration feedback to the user's digit 70 when the paste operation isinitiated.

The paste operation comprises storing the first content 160 to aparticular (non-temporary) location in the memory 14. The pasteoperation also comprises controlling the touch sensitive display 22 todisplay a representation 60 of the first content 160. When the firstcontent 160 is stored at the user's desired location, the processor 12controls the display 22 to display the representation 60 of the firstcontent 160. In the example given in the figures, the representation 60that is displayed 22 when the paste operation 60 is performed is thesame as the representation 60 that was displayed prior to the firstcontent 160 being selected for pasting.

FIG. 9 illustrates the representation 60 of the first content 60 beingdisplayed alongside the representation 63 of the fourth content 60 afterthe pasting operation has been performed. The representation 60 of thefirst content 160 that is displayed after the paste operation is not‘transient’ like the indication 80 displayed prior to the pastingoperation. In this regard, the processor 12 controls the display 22 tocontinue displaying the representation 60 after the user digit 70 hasbeen removed from the vicinity of the display 22, irrespective ofwhether the user digit 70 is in a position in which it may be detectedby the proximity detector 26. The representation 80 may, for example, beuser selectable and/or user editable.

References to ‘a tangible computer-readable storage medium’, ‘a computerprogram product’, a ‘computer’, and a ‘processor’ etc. should beunderstood to encompass not only computers having differentarchitectures such as single/multi-processor architectures andsequential (Von Neumann)/parallel architectures but also specializedcircuits such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), applicationspecific circuits (ASIC), signal processing devices and other devices.References to computer program, instructions, code etc. should beunderstood to encompass software for a programmable processor orfirmware such as, for example, the programmable content of a hardwaredevice whether instructions for a processor, or configuration settingsfor a fixed-function device, gate array or programmable logic deviceetc.

As used in this application, the term ‘circuitry’ refers to all of thefollowing:

-   (a)hardware-only circuit implementations (such as implementations in    only analog and/or digital circuitry) and-   (b) to combinations of circuits and software (and/or firmware), such    as (as applicable): (i) to a combination of processor(s) or (ii) to    portions of processor(s)/software (including digital signal    processor(s)), software, and memory(ies) that work together to cause    an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various    functions) and-   (c) to circuits, such as a microprocessor(s) or a portion of a    microprocessor(s), that require software or firmware for operation,    even if the software or firmware is not physically present.

This definition of ‘circuitry’ applies to all uses of this term in thisapplication, including in any claims. As a further example, as used inthis application, the term “circuitry” would also cover animplementation of merely a processor (or multiple processors) or portionof a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and/or firmware.The term “circuitry” would also cover, for example and if applicable tothe particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit orapplications processor integrated circuit for a mobile telephone or asimilar integrated circuit in server, a cellular network device, orother network device.

The blocks illustrated in FIG. 3 may represent steps in a method and/orsections of code in the computer program 16. The illustration of aparticular order to the blocks does not necessarily imply that there isa required or preferred order for the blocks and the order andarrangement of the block may be varied. Furthermore, it may be possiblefor some steps to be omitted.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in thepreceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should beappreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as claimed. For example,embodiments of the invention are described above in the context of anexample involving pasting content in the form of a still image. However,embodiments of the invention are not limited to this example. In otherembodiments of the invention, the content may, for instance, includetextual content, video content or audio content.

For example, embodiments of the invention may be used to edit an image.In these embodiments of the invention, the transient indication 80 mightprovide an indication of how the image will appear after the editingstep (the pasting) has occurred.

In some implementations of the invention, the proximity detector 26 isconfigured to detect the positions of at least two hovering digits. Inthese implementations, the processor 12 may be configured to display twotransient indications simultaneously.

The processor 12 may, for example, control the display 22 such that eachtransient indication moves across the display 22 in real time with itsrelated user digit.

The paragraphs above describe the paste operation being initiated by theuser touching the outer surface of the touch sensitive display 22. Inother, alternate embodiments of the invention, the paste operation maybe initiated by pressing a mechanical key, separate to the display 22.

Features described in the preceding description may be used incombinations other than the combinations explicitly described.

Although functions have been described with reference to certainfeatures, those functions may be performable by other features whetherdescribed or not.

Although features have been described with reference to certainembodiments, those features may also be present in other embodimentswhether described or not.

Whilst endeavoring in the foregoing specification to draw attention tothose features of the invention believed to be of particular importanceit should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respectof any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbeforereferred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particularemphasis has been placed thereon.

1. A method, comprising: controlling a touch sensitive display, while auser digit is detected hovering a distance from the touch sensitivedisplay, to display a transient indication of first content for pasting,wherein if the user subsequently moves the user digit away from thetouch sensitive display such that the user digit is no longer detected,the transient indication of the first content for pasting is removedfrom display on the touch sensitive display.
 2. A method as claimed inclaim 1, further comprising: in response to detection of touch inputfrom the user digit at the touch sensitive display, initiating a pasteoperation using the first content, wherein the paste operation comprisescontrolling the touch sensitive display to display a representation ofthe first content, and continuing to display the representation of thefirst content after the user digit has been removed from the touchsensitive display.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein therepresentation of the first content is at least one of: user editableand user selectable.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 1, furthercomprising: selecting the first content for pasting in response to userinput.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein selecting the firstcontent for pasting comprises performing a cut operation or a copyoperation.
 6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the displayedtransient indication of the first content for pasting is not selectableby a user.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transientindication of the first content is displayed on the touch sensitivedisplay, after detecting the user digit hovering a distance from thetouch sensitive display for at least a threshold period of time.
 8. Themethod as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position at which thetransient indication of the first content is displayed depends upon theposition of the hovering user digit relative to the touch sensitivedisplay.
 9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:responding to detection of the user digit moving across the touchsensitive display while hovering, by controlling the touch sensitivedisplay to display the transient indication of the first content movingacross the touch sensitive display with the user digit.
 10. Anapparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memorystoring computer program instructions, the at least one processor beingconfigured to execute the computer program instructions to cause theapparatus at least to perform: controlling a touch sensitive display,while a user digit is detected hovering a distance from the touchsensitive display, to display a transient indication of first contentfor pasting, wherein if the user subsequently moves the user digit awayfrom the touch sensitive display such that the user digit is no longerdetected, the transient indication of the first content for pasting isremoved from display on the touch sensitive display.
 11. An apparatus asclaimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured,in response to detection of touch input from the user digit at the touchsensitive display, to initiate a paste operation using the firstcontent, wherein the paste operation comprises controlling the touchsensitive display to display a representation of the first content, andcontinuing to display the representation of the first content after theuser digit has been removed from the touch sensitive display.
 12. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one processor isconfigured, in response to user input, to select the first content forpasting.
 13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the displayedtransient indication of the first content for pasting is not selectableby a user.
 14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein theposition at which the transient indication of the first content isdisplayed depends upon the position of the hovering user digit relativeto the touch sensitive display.
 15. The apparatus as claimed in claim10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to respond todetection of the user digit moving across the touch sensitive displaywhile hovering, by controlling the touch sensitive display to displaythe transient indication of the first content moving across the touchsensitive display with the user digit.
 16. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 10, further comprising the touch sensitive display.
 17. Anon-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer programcomprising computer program instructions that, when executed by at leastone processor, cause an apparatus at least to perform: controlling atouch sensitive display, while a user digit is detected hovering adistance from the touch sensitive display, to display a transientindication of first content for pasting, wherein if the usersubsequently moves the user digit away from the touch sensitive displaysuch that the user digit is no longer detected, the transient indicationof the first content for pasting is removed from display on the touchsensitive display.
 18. A non-transitory computer readable medium asclaimed in claim 17, wherein the computer program instructions furthercause the apparatus to perform: in response to detection of touch inputfrom the user digit at the touch sensitive display, initiating a pasteoperation using the first content, wherein the paste operation comprisescontrolling the touch sensitive display to display a representation ofthe first content, and continuing to display the representation of thefirst content after the user digit has been removed from the touchsensitive display.
 19. The non-transitory computer readable medium asclaimed in claim 17, wherein the computer program instructions furthercause the apparatus to perform: selecting the first content for pastingin response to user input.
 20. The non-transitory computer readablemedium as claimed in claim 17, wherein the position at which thetransient indication of the first content is displayed depends upon theposition of the hovering user digit relative to the touch sensitivedisplay.